Husband of Nu Skin co-founder charged with sex crimes

Courts • "Everything I am accused of is false," Robert Clark McKell told The Tribune.

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The husband of the co-founder of Provo-based skin care company Nu Skin has been formally charged with sexually abusing an 18-year-old woman.

Robert Clark McKell, 52, of Springville, was charged Tuesday with three counts of object rape and one count of forcible sodomy, all first-degree felonies. He was also charged with two counts of second-degree felony forcible sex abuse.

According a probable cause statement filed in 4th District Court, the 18-year-old accuses McKell of sexually abusing her on several occasions between January and March of this year. The alleged abuse included touching the teen's genitals and breasts, despite the woman allegedly telling McKell, "No," according to the court documents.

McKell was released from the Utah County jail last Thursday on $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Thursday.

McKell claimed last week that the allegations are untrue.

"Everything I am accused of is false," Robert Clark McKell told The Salt Lake Tribune in a telephone call.

McKell is married to Nu Skin co-founder Nedra Roney McKell. In 1996, Roney McKell, who was then known as Nedra Roney Tischner, was charged with three third-degree felony counts of prescription fraud and another count of insurance fraud. She eventually entered a plea in abeyance to the charges and received three years of probation. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the charges after she completed the probationary period.

Nedra Roney McKell has not worked for Nu Skin since the late 1980s and is no longer a major shareholder in the company, said Nu Skin's Corporate Communications Director Kara Schneck.